A blog of two mates who like to drink and make beer. Find tasting notes, flavors of the month and other information of the latest home brews.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Day 16: Alcohol Shopping and Drinking to Joel Stanton

It is 2 hours into Joel Stanton's (beerdakari's only follower) birthday back in OZ, and only just getting into my first beer to celebrate our mateship through the years (many many years. How are we still friends Mr Beef Opposite?) as he turns 30 today. Sorry I can't be there, but hopefully when you hear what I have done today, you will see I am celebrating here for you too.

So today has been a bit up and down weather wise, so not conducive to walking around too much. Ok, I don't mean to ruin a beer blog with wine, but found a wine store here in Berlin where I can get mine and my brother's favourite winery's products. It is harvest season at the moment, and supplies were low, but managed to get two bottles at least. One to have with friends here (we need to organise a picnic so we can do this), and the other to take back to Mick for us to enjoy at sometime in the future. Then took some advice from the Lonely Planet guide and bought some chocolates for Mr Faulkner for, like Joel, just being a good mate. Choc truffles, and in case you are wondering, yes, they have alcohol in them too. After being loaded with this, I made my way to the only beer store I have been able to find here in Berlin, and took 30 mins choosing 3 from their good German dark beer range.

Jaimi and I have now just toasted to you, and started drinking the first beer to you Joel. And it is almost karma that it happens to be a low alcohol (3.8%) syrupy-sweet beer that taste very much like flat coke. So there you go mate, almost like not drinking a beer at all. Still, the Landskron Pupen(Pooping?)-Schultzes Schwarzes is going down very easy, and I guess meets the recommendation I asked for from the store owner; dark and sweet.

Alright, next on the list is Maxlrainer Aiblinger Schwarzbier, which is actually a bit lighter in colour to the previous but does have a slight dark smell (with even slighter spice?) to it. This is actually one on the list of beers I wanted to try, so can't complain that the store owner lead me astray. Not getting much from the beer til the midpalate with some caramel malt and does seem to be some very mild spice or hop in it as well. has just enough body to it but is very easy drinking overall. At least we are up to 5% to kick it along a little bit.

The last is the Andechs Export Dunkel which has a bit of a spiced dubbel smell and taste to it, so reminds me a bit like a trappist beer. is a bit light on for a trappist but has a similar flavour profile. I know I have had a beer from this brewer before, and had on my list a Doppelbock Dunkel to try over here, but at least this proves I don't mind what they do at this brewery.

So while the sun sets here in Berlin and I sit on the back patio with a beer in hand, my thoughts go out to Joel, and all those people that get to have the day with him.

Joel's friend,

Beefy

PS: beer, chocolate, wine and now pizza, all in the same day. it's like it is my birthday!!!

PPS: While it isn't beer related, I did get to taste some JJ Prum wines while buying what i could of their stock. very nice. who would have thought a dark creamy beer drinker would enjoy a German riesling?

Stass: Like all types of beer* (*there are a few exceptions). Sometimes it's an ale, sometimes a stout and sometimes it's a larger. Is willing to give anything a try and enjoys tasting something new.

A good beer to Stass is one that sets out with a clear goal in mind and achieves that. Whether that goal is to be a thirst quenching beer to be had around the barbecue with a few mates, or to explore the depth of flavours in a detailed scotch ale.